Kilts and costumes

[Kid Cossack]

I just can't believe no one has made a crack about Panache dressing as the Maroon Death yet.

[Pleater]

We do occasionally have 'trick or treaters' come to the door - I'm afraid I give them bags of apples, right off my own trees.

There is no keeping of Halloween in my family background, except that it marks the end of gathering - all crops and found foods such as hedgerow fruits should have been brought in and processed or stored for the Winter by the end of October, as after that they would be spoilt anyway, and would neither taste good nor store well.

Usually, with the growing season starting so early these days there are many weeks between the finish of Harvest and the end of October, but once or twice in the last few decades it has been cold in the Spring, and then the first of November really has been significant.

Even though Halloween has been depicted on our TV screens as an American festivity, and the supermarkets push the 'event' like mad selling costumes and party foods, it has not really caught on here except for those looking for an excuse for a party.

It might be that we have a fair number of 'Bank Holidays' throughout the year - when the normal financial world is suspended for a day, usually on a Monday, but also Good Friday, so giving people a long weekend. They don't wander around the calender much - except Easter, of course, running around after the full moon. We don't have Thanksgiving so they try to push turkey dinners at Easter. OK if it is early, I supose. We usually have lamb.

It also could be that the end of October is likely to be cold, wet and miserable and folks would rather spend Halloween in front of the TV at home rather than traipsing around the streets to be met with blank stares (or bags of apples) when they go to their neighbours' doors.

[ChromeScholar]

I always thought the Coneheads had the right idea when they gave the trick-or-treaters fried eggs and six-packs of beer.

[Roan Carter]

I always thought the Coneheads had the right idea when they gave the trick-or-treaters fried eggs and six-packs of beer.

I'D PREFER THAT! Ha ha ha.

[Makeitstop]

There are far too few opportunities to dress as Robin hood, Zorro, The Phantom of the Opera, a Highwayman, Sinbad, Hamlet, The Crow, and other delightful swashbuckling characters...

Who's stopping you the rest of the year? I know I don't always wait for October 31st or December 5th to break out the old ninja mask. Granted it's not that out of place in the middle of winter, or at midnight in the woods, but still...

Actually, something the Scots might not be aware of is the practice of Halloween in North America. It is a bigger event than Christmas in some areas. More often than not, it at least matches Christmas. Halloween is promoted strongly starting around September 1.
It has become as much an adult event, again, sometimes more so, than the children's event.

Overall I believe it is second only to Christmas. Halloween supplies are being sold earlier and earlier and from a retail perspective it is by far the most important holiday other than Christmas.

Christmas still remains number one though. The Christmas season officially starts in September now (I remember a time when it hadn't even fully conquered thanksgiving) and is still growing. It's also celebrated by roughly 96% of America (sorry, I have no international figures) and the Christmas sales make up a disturbingly large part of the economy. About the only negative indicator when it comes to Christmas is the trend of replacing references to Christmas with generic "holiday" and "seasonal" terms. But that's another topic entirely.

BTW, I remember in Scotland, there was an expectation to have a trick prepared. It would be college age people doing the rounds not kids.

Same here, only it's more like junior high and high school kids. The basic idea is that you give them candy or they egg and/or tp your house (or worse if they're creative). And then later they do it anyway. Then again, that was never a problem when I was a kid, as my family knew how to make sure they were too afraid of us to ever try anything.

[beloitpiper]

The basic idea is that you give them candy or they egg and/or tp your house (or worse if they're creative). And then later they do it anyway. Then again, that was never a problem when I was a kid, as my family knew how to make sure they were too afraid of us to ever try anything.

I'm usually the one handing out candy at my house (usually a good zombie flick on TV, too), and I always make sure there's no vandals, either. Flood light on outside and a bat behind the door.

[Woodsheal]

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh:

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[Monkey@Arms]

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...Name=WDVW&rd=1

The irony is they could get real usable outfit (not a cheap costume) for that amount of money.

Best regards,

Jake

[ChromeScholar]

Ok, a few questions...

1. Why is the fabric swatch in Stewart Black, and his costume is not, if that's a swatch of the costume (although, come to think of it, they didn't say it was a swatch of the costume, just that's it's an actual fabric swatch...)

2. Why is he wearing a French beret?

3.Why is he wearing leg warmers with dress shoes?

4. What is that fuzzy little thing hanging at his waistline?

5. How much did they have to pay him to pose for that picture?

Hey! For the same price, they sell a gorilla suit! That would look great with my Stewart Black Kilt!

[Coemgen]

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh:

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MY EYES!!!!!